Yuunoa
by FyoraHime
Summary: I'm doing a 100 days theme challenge, and I'm doing it with 5 of my favorite ships! For days 1-20, here are some Yuunoa drabbles!
1. Day 2: Love

What is love?

Shinoa had never wasted much time trying to answer the age-old question. Ever since she was young, any exposure to this so-called "love" was twisted and warped beyond recognition. No rational human being would define any of her experiences as showcasing true love.

Love didn't exist in her family. In fact, their shared heritage was the reason why love was lost. The politics and power struggles involved in the Hiiragi family destroyed any sense of kinship; anyone fathered by Tenri was thrust into a turbulent, dog-eat-dog—or sibling-conquer-sibling—world from birth, which hardly left the opportunity for any sweet sentiments to blossom.

What about Mahiru? She did feel a closer bond with her older sister, up until the point that she lost her humanity and left this world. Undoubtedly, the elder girl trusted her little sister more than the others, and she was protective of her. Was that love?

Surely their tie resembled love more closely than Mahiru's relationship with Guren. Her sister called it love, but did Guren reciprocate those feelings with the same intensity? Did both people have to feel the same way for it to be love? Shinoa was young when she played the role of messenger between the two, so some aspects of their relationship had been too mature for her to grasp. She very clearly remembered how she felt about the situation, though: "grown-up love" was confusing.

What about now? Did she know love now? The petite girl turned to glance at her squad, watching as the assembled soldiers laughed around the campfire and argued over leftovers. Her gaze drifted over each of them in turn, but it lingered on one particular raven-haired fool.

Yuichiro Hyakuya came to the Japanese Imperial Demon Army with only one thought on his mind: revenge. Joy and laughter had vanished from his life. Sorrow and bitterness probably hid tucked away, but anger, hatred, and a need for destruction almost entirely motivated his being. He refused to open his heart to love while he mourned the loss of his only family.

For a moment, Shinoa's eyes grew cloudy and her gaze softened. This ruined, hideous world would have been even more pitiful if Yuu had never found hope and given life a second chance. She had never met anyone who was so capable of loving. He happily embraced the entire squad as his family. He always waltzed around with a stupid smile on his face. His reckless behavior led him into sticky situations, but he acted on behalf of others, not just himself. Every now and then, he would even think _before_ leaping into action, making sure to consider how the consequences affected the people who were precious to him.

How could someone as warmhearted as Yuu find it in his heart to love someone like her? Shinoa wasn't sure if she was capable of love, in the true essence of the word, given her upbringing. She'd never known what it was like to care about someone so much until she was tasked with managing this charming bunch of misfits.

Yuichiro must have noticed her out of the corner of his eye, because he turned away from the scraps on Kimizuki's plate to look back at her. Curiously he tilted his head to the side before flashing her a huge, mischievous grin. Mischievous, but pure. He was concerned. He wanted to know if something was bothering her. Much to her surprise, the young girl's heart skipped a beat.

Did she love him? She couldn't answer that question. After all, she still didn't know what love was. Meeting him had changed her life for the better, though. If anyone could teach her about love, whether it was familial, platonic, or romantic, it was him.

'Love… isn't what I feel when I think of you,' she decided, as an image of her corrupt family flashed before her eyes. Shaking her head, she focused on her teammate's face one more, realizing he was still waiting for her to act. The ashen-haired girl stuck her tongue out at him, followed by a sly little smile of her own.

'Love… is what I feel when I think of Yuu.'


	2. Day 3: Light

_Tap._

The sudden sensation on her forehead caused Shinoa's eyelids to open. Slightly dazed, she cast her gaze upward but only saw the spine of an old book. Somewhat curious now, she tilted her head and began to lean backward in her seat. Her neck and back were stiff from the cold, and she cursed her petite frame for being unable to spot the culprit more easily. Once she caught sight of him, she sat up straight again and shook her head. An overly exaggerated sigh left her slightly chapped lips.

"Yes, Yuu-san?" she asked without looking at him.

"Why didn't you say anything?" The dark-haired boy certainly wasn't wasting any time.

Immediately, Shinoa knew exactly what he meant. However, she tried to play it off as casually as she could. "You'll have to be more specific."

"Today's your birthday!" he blurted out. Once again, Shinoa couldn't help but notice how direct he was being. She knew he had tendency to head straight into situations without thinking, but would it kill him to be a little more tactful? "It's your birthday, and you never told me!"

"If I never said anything, then what makes you so sure that today is my birthday?" she asked coolly. Inwardly, she scolded herself for acting so immaturely. Yuichiro seemed annoyed by this response, too, because he tapped her on the head with the book again. "Today… isn't a day worth celebrating," she said at last. She struggled to bring the next words to her lips. "Don't you know? Today… today is… the day the world ended." Every shaky, icy breath she took pierced her lungs, and she was almost afraid that she'd start coughing up frost in the middle of this stuttering sentence.

"Yeah, I know." He walked out from behind her and came to face her directly. Delicately he lowered himself onto one knee, wincing slightly as he lowered it into the snow. "Yeah, the world ended today, but you know what? You came first. The apocalypse can't take your birthday away." She wasn't sure if that made much sense, but he was nodding so determinedly that she tried to allow herself to believe his words. "Besides, we have to look for the light in all of the miserable darkness in this world. Sure, the world ended today, but this day gave us you, too." He smiled warmly at her. "That's not just any silver lining. That gives today a glowing, gleaming beam of light." He rose to his feet now and extended his gloved hand towards her. "If you won't celebrate, then the rest of us will. We're your family. We'll celebrate even if you don't want us to!"

The lavender-haired birthday girl glanced down at her boots. Did she deserve to be happy today? Did _anyone_ deserve to be happy today? She didn't think it was possible; rather, she didn't want to think it was possible. Such revelry seemed selfish. Although, when Yuu spoke with such passion and conviction, she almost could believe him. "Maybe… I could give celebration a try," she conceded after a couple minutes of silence.

Eyes sparkling, he smiled triumphantly and grabbed her hand. "Great! You won't regret it! Let's go see everyone." He took off in leaps and bounds, and she struggled to keep up with his wider strides without sinking into the snow.

"You'd better not sing for me," she warned him after hopping over a bundle of branches on the ground.

"I'm not even going to try!" he assured her with a laugh. "I sing about as well as you cook!"

Shinoa immediately snatched her hand out from his grasp and shoved him down towards the snow. She didn't push him hard enough to make him fall, but he did stumble for a minute and that was enough to satisfy her. Snickering, she began to scurry away, emitting a soft yelp as Yuu began to hurl snowballs in her direction.

'Yuichiro… I don't know if my existence is what you'd call a ray of light,' she thought as she ducked behind a tree to dodge an incoming snowball, 'but _you_ are certainly a light in my life.'


	3. Day 4: Dark

If she had to make a list of her favorite activities, Shinoa would struggle to name a few. However, traveling at night was definitely not among them.

She didn't have much of a choice right now, considering that Yoichi had spotted a cluster of vampire nobles while on lookout from his sniping position. Once he reported the news, Narumi insisted that they leave at once, not wanting to risk the chance of being discovered.

Shinoa particularly disliked nights like this one, in which the clouds covered most of the stars in the sky. Additionally, tonight seemed to be a new moon, because she couldn't detect a single sliver of its silver glow. Her squad had only the light of sparsely scattered stars to guide them. Although their assistance was feeble, Shinoa was grateful for the soft twinkle of the stars. Without them, she and her friends would be traveling in pitch blackness.

A dilapidated old building came into view just ahead, and the young sergeant saw her teammates begin to scamper over there. Right now, they were probably a safe distance from the vampires, and she welcomed the opportunity to catch her breath. She forced herself to stand upright so that air could flow unobstructed in and out of her lungs. Mitsuba stood beside her, bent over; judging from her pallid face and wobbling knees, she was rather nauseated.

"Let's keep moving," Kimizuki whispered. He cast a concerned glance at Mitsuba, who carefully lifted her head and took deep, steadying breaths. She nodded at him to indicate that she could continue. Looking slightly doubtful but not wanting to waste any more time, the bespectacled boy nodded back and took off into the night once more.

Shinoa was about to follow after them when she suddenly felt warm fingers grasp her own tiny hand. Startled, she whipped her head up to see Yuu standing beside her. He didn't even look at her; he kept his gaze focused straight ahead, watching as everyone else ran off. Although his hand was hotter than hers, his fingers seemed to be shivering—or were they trembling? "Are you afraid of getting lost in the dark?" she teased quietly. Hopefully her wry humor could help him lighten up; his face was uncharacteristically somber, and that made her want to tremble, too.

"No," he replied with a scoff. The dark-haired boy looked down at her now, and relief washed over her when she saw that a small smile had stretched across his lips. "But… I am afraid of losing _you_."

For the first time that night, she was grateful for the darkness, for she knew he couldn't see the blush beginning to blossom on her cheeks. "Because I'm short, right?"

Maybe with a little more starlight, she could have seen if he was blushing now, too. She wanted to believe that he was. "Yeah," he mumbled, and he took off running into the darkness, still gripping her hand as she hurried after. "Something like that."


	4. Day 5: Seeking Solace

Shinoa wasn't the first person that Yuu expected to encounter today.

He stumbled out into the sunshine, blinking vigorously as he tried to adapt to the bright morning light. Much to his surprise, Shinoa was also outside at this hour, sitting on an old tree stump. She appeared to be deep in thought, unperturbed by the chilly dawn breeze that sent her ashen locks fluttering behind her. Yuichiro plopped down onto the stump beside her without warning, but she didn't seem alarmed. Without moving her head, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Good morning, Yuu-san," she murmured, turning to face him now. "You're up early."

Yuichiro shrugged and leaned back. "You are too," he pointed out with a grin. His stomach growled softly, and he placed his hand over it with a soft, "shh."

Shinoa chuckled and let out an overly exaggerated sigh. "Hungry already?" she teased. "Didn't you eat enough last night?"

Yuu folded his arms across his chest. "That was hours ago," he said. "Of course I'm hungry again." At the mention of last night's dinner, he furrowed his brow and looked down at his stomach. "Although, I wonder if I ate too much, or maybe I ate something rotten. I had some really weird dreams last night." He cast her an accusatory glance and asked, "Did _you_ cook last night's dinner? Is that why I couldn't sleep?" His tone clearly indicated that he was joking, but part of him wondered if this theory was correct.

Shinoa shook her head and pouted slightly. "Of course not. Micchan and I are banned from culinary duties," she reminded him, sounding disappointed. "Weird dreams, hmm? Such as…?" She tilted her head to the side curiously.

"Well, in my first dream, tomatoes started falling from the sky!" The feisty boy jumped up and stretched his arms way above his ahead, reaching towards the clouds. "The sky was raining tomatoes!" Shinoa raised an eyebrow at him and smiled. She seemed rather interested in the details, so Yuu continued. "Then Mika picked up a tomato and began to suck out its juice. He drank it as if it were blood, until the tomato turned white!" He pretended to catch a tomato that was falling from the sky, and then he lifted his imaginary tomato to his face and made slurping noises. "When I stepped on the normal, red tomatoes, they splattered tomato juice everywhere. That's normal. When I stepped on the white tomatoes, however…" He raised his boot before finishing his sentence. "They burst out with confetti!" Yuu slammed his heel into the ground as if he were smashing a giant tomato.

Shinoa had lifted both hands to her mouth, trying to contain her giggles. "That's… quite a bizarre dream," she agreed. Whether it was the dream itself or Yuichiro's reenactment that she found funny, he couldn't be certain; nonetheless, he felt warm inside when he saw the joy on the petite girl's face.

As images from his other dream began to creep into his mind, he began to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. Should he tell her about this one, too? "Then… then I had another dream. I lost control of myself again. I lost control of the seraph." Shinoa's laughter stopped and the smile fell from her face. "I guess that's technically a nightmare, right?" He tried to muster a chuckle, but it sounded hollow. "Was Asuramaru trying to mess with me? What a weird guy." He slumped down onto the tree stump beside her again, and for a moment or two they both sat there in silence. "Was it scary?" he began quietly. "When I… you know…"  
"Horrifying." She didn't even try to sugarcoat it.

Yuu winced and tried to laugh again, but it just sounded awkward and empty. "O-of course—"

"But I brought you back from that state before." She cut him off sharply and focused her determined brown eyes on his troubled green ones. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

She didn't even hesitate to dedicate herself to such an intimidating task. Yuu could feel her quivering slightly beside him, and he tried not to let guilt overwhelm him. She was so terrified, but she still remained dedicated to him. To her friends. Those were the exact words of solace that he needed. Even if he lost control, he knew that his family would support him and lead him out of the darkness.

"Thanks, Shinoa." He grabbed one of her tiny hands with both of his. "I shouldn't have those nightmares anymore." For some reason, his face began to feel hot. "Now let's go find some tomatoes! I'm _starving_."

Shinoa wasn't the first person that Yuu expected to encounter today, but she was definitely the right person.


	5. Day 6: Break Away

"You know…"

Yuichiro trailed off in a somewhat frustrated manner, trying to think of how to word his thoughts. Regardless of how tactful he tried to be, Shinoa would probably have some smart-aleck remark, so he might as well be blunt and quick.

"When I asked you to help me break out of that room, this wasn't what I had in mind."

The irritated teenage boy rested one hand on his companion's shoulder and the other against the wall as he hobbled down the hospital hallway. His shaking legs could hardly support his weight, but nonetheless he tried to maintain an aura of composure and strength. 'Fake it until you make it,' he encouraged himself, and he was very determined to make it out of here.

Shinoa shook her head softly and smirked at him. "Did you expect me to help you destroy the walls and carry you outside?" she scoffed. "Perhaps you thought I would come back with a spell that could heal you instantly." She chuckled and glanced over his fatigued frame, which he could barely keep upright. "If you don't act rashly, you won't end up in the hospital. Even youcan understand something that simple."

Yuu rolled his eyes and frowned at her. "I wasn't that reckless."

She raised her eyebrow at him. "You jumped out of a two-story window to slice a vampire in half."

Yuu threw up his hands in exasperation. "Exactly! If I were really reckless, I would've leapt from a three-story window! Now _that_ would have been stupid." His body was unprepared for the sudden movement, and he wobbled for a moment until he could turn and slam both hands against the wall. He leaned there until he caught his breath, and then finally he straightened up again. "I don't think a simple walk in the hallway will help me get rid of all of my energy." Although he spent the past two days drifting in and out of consciousness, he woke up this morning feeling very restless and itching to move.

"This is all of the help I will offer you," his squad leader replied firmly. "Take it or leave it."

Yuu turned his head to scowl at her, but then shifted his attention and weight back to the wall. "Fine. I'll escape all by myself." Carefully he began to walk his hands across the wall's surface, and tentatively he allowed his footsteps to follow. He was able to proceed a couple of feet before his knees began to buckle, at which point he looked around frantically for another sturdy surface to support him.

Shinoa rushed over and offered her shoulder once more. However, this time he reached right past her shoulder and grabbed her hand instead. Much to his surprise, Shinoa jumped slightly when he took hold of her. Maybe she didn't expect him to accept her help so swiftly?

When she spoke a minute later, Yuu was caught off-guard by the embarrassment in her tone. "Hopefully," she began, but then she paused for a moment to force a cough. "Hopefully you can make it back to your room," she continued, her voice now clear and level. "If you fall and squish my cute little body, we'll _both_ be stuck here."


	6. Day 7: Heaven

Slowly, delicately, hesitantly, thick eyelashes fluttered as heavy eyelids creaked open. Light and shadows swirled across the room, causing the boy to emit a soft moan. The confusing colors and patterns sent his head spiraling, and he closed his eyes. After allowing himself a moment to recuperate, he tried to open his eyes again. A silhouette hovered above him; although he couldn't make out the face, he found himself blinded by its beauty. Sunlight poked in through the window and outlined the mysterious figure, giving it an ethereal glow. As his eyes adjusted to the room, the boy began to distinguish more features. The figure above him was female, and her nearly translucent skin sparkled from the reflected light. She drew in a sharp breath as he tried to sit up, and when she let out a gasp, the sound soothed his pounding head. Finally he could make out a face. Confusion furrowed his brow, and he wondered if his eyes were fooling him. "Shinoa?" he whispered. His voice was hoarse; when was the last time he had spoken?

"Yuichiro?" she murmured. She let out a shaky sigh of relief, and he tried his best to smile at her. The light still danced around her frame and lit up her pale, smiling face. He had never seen sunlight glimmer on a person like this before.

"Am I… in heaven?" he guessed. Was he staring at a golden, glowing angel?

A huff sounded from deeper in the room, and Yuu carefully turned his head to find the source. "If Shinoa was the first person I saw when I woke up, I don't know if _heaven_ is the first place I would think of." The sneer came from a blonde girl at the foot of Yuu's hospital bed. She flicked one pigtail behind her shoulder as she gazed over at Shinoa, who seemed more amused than insulted.

"I couldn't hear you, Micchan," she replied, and suddenly she whipped out a dark key-sized object and began to twirl it between her fingers. "Maybe you could repeat that for both me and Shi-chan to hear?" She smirked as her Cursed Gear began to rumble, and Mitsuba raised her hands defensively.

"Just kidding," she insisted. Turning back to the messy-haired patient, she folded her arms across her chest. "Yuu, you scared us. We thought we lost you for real this time."

Yuu looked a little uncomfortable, but he quickly regained his composure. "Don't worry. I can't leave you guys for good," he assured her. "You wouldn't last three days without me!" He laughed, but his eyes widened as Kimizuki suddenly grabbed a nearby pillow. Yoichi leaped forward to restrain the pink-haired teen so he couldn't use it to slap Yuu in the head.

Shinoa chuckled and leaned against a nearby table. "I wouldn't be so sure," she murmured. "We managed to survive a whole week while you were unconscious."

Yuu shot up straight in his bed, his face as white as his sheets. "A week?!" he blurted out. "I was out for a week?" After moving so quickly, his head began to pound again, and he sunk down into his sheets.

Kimizuki tossed the pillow in Shinoa's direction instead. He was aiming for her face, but she side-stepped and it harmlessly landed on the table. "It was just under two days," he corrected. "Don't scare him into a coma, Shinoa."

"Oh, you sound very concerned," she commented with a snicker. He began to blush and tried to deny the accusation, which made everyone in the room begin to laugh. Shinoa turned back to Yuu after a moment and smiled sweetly at him again. Sunlight illuminated her features with that angelic hue once more. "Welcome back, Yuu-san."

Yuu blushed slightly and gave her a lopsided grin. "It's good to be back."


	7. Day 9: Drive

Abandoned on the side of the road, the contraption had rested undisturbed for days, if not weeks. Cold, harsh metal glinted beneath the setting sun's last rays, bathed in an eerie crimson light. Its shadow was large and ominous, reflecting the nature of the object itself. As the sun continued to descend, the shadow only grew in its size and menace, looking ready to devour any living creature that foolishly came near.

"Wow," Yuu breathed as he took in the sight. "We're really lucky!" He turned his excited, twinkling eyes to Shinoa, who raised a thoughtful finger to her chin.

"If the keys are still inside, then we're lucky," she conceded. She strode forward, trying to get a better view. As she came closer, she realized that the machine was in decent condition. Rust had not yet overtaken the metal surface, and the glass was intact. "I wonder if—"

She stopped short as she saw her companion dash up and fling the car door wide open. "The keys are in the ignition!" he hollered exuberantly.

"—it's locked," she finished with a sigh. "Apparently not." His enthusiasm was certainly amusing, and for once she couldn't blame him. They were rather fortunate to run into a car like this; however, she couldn't help but wonder how an army vehicle had ended up discarded here. While she knew the obvious and most likely answer, she didn't want to dwell on it. Instead of lingering on the previous owner's misfortune, she had to appreciate that her squad now had access to it. The ashen-haired sergeant walked over to the driver's side of the vehicle, and what she saw did not surprise her in the least, but it still concerned her. "Yuu-san, you and I both know you can't drive."

Yuu had plopped himself into the driver's seat and was rubbing his hands eagerly along the wheel. "I'm better now!" he insisted. "Come on, Shinoa, let me drive back to camp. Pleeeeease?"

"No," she replied firmly. "We would appreciate it if you didn't die today." Placing one hand on the frame of the car and the other on the door's inner handle, she thrust herself upward and planted her feet on the narrow strip of metal next to the driver's seat. "Now scoot over. I'll drive it back.

"Are you serious?" Yuu raised his eyebrow at her. "You can't drive either! You're…" He trailed off when he saw the glimmer in her eye, daring him to speak. A shudder ran down his spine as dark tendrils began to sneak out from her pocket. Recalling what had happened the last time he mocked her height, he decided to drop the topic. "I have an idea!" he blurted out, hoping to divert her attention. "How about we drive together? You can navigate and steer, since you're better at that, and I'll hit the brakes and the gas when you ask!"

In battle, Yuichiro was loyal, powerful, determined, and becoming increasingly reliable. Sometimes, Shinoa could almost forget that he was an idiot. Moments like this, however, quickly reminded her of just how stupid he could be. "That's absurd," she stated simply.

"Why?" the dark-haired boy protested. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her over so she could sit on his lap. "We'll share the driver's seat! You can't knock it until you try it!"

Shinoa's face flushed as she was suddenly and forcibly pulled from her precarious perch onto Yuu. "Put me down immediately," she ordered, trying to keep her voice level. "This is undoubtedly one of your dumbest ideas ever."

"For once, I agree with Shinoa." An unexpected voice sounded from outside of the car, and both teens turned to look towards the source. A tall, pink-haired, flustered, and very frustrated boy stood there, gritting his teeth.

"Hey, Kimizuki!" Yuu waved at his teammate with a huge, silly grin plastered on his face. "Don't Shinoa and I make the perfect team for driving?"

Kimizuki scoffed and cracked his knuckles. Clearly he planned to drag Yuu out of the seat by force if he wouldn't leave willingly. "You make the perfect team for _driving me crazy_!"


	8. Day 10: Breathe Again

A sudden rush of pain. A sharp inhalation of breath. A short moment to reflect.

Shinoa had never thought much of death. She respected the fact that it was powerful enough to take people away permanently, so she had always tried to avoid it. After living in such a bleak world for so long, death hardly fazed her anymore. Death was inevitable, and in this vampire-infested wasteland, it tended to come prematurely. Her comrades were constantly dying all around her, and she felt sorry about their loss, but she never felt the deep pang of sorrow and regret that she probably _should_ feel. Death concerned her, but she had never been close enough to anyone for his or her death to affect her personally. Maybe Mahiru. Her sister was probably the closest person to her, and her loss stung, but somehow Shinoa didn't think that pain was as intense as it _should_ be.

She'd never loved anyone enough to worry about losing them, nor had anyone loved her enough for her to think that they would miss her if she died.

Not until now.

Not until she had met Yuichiro and the rest of her squad. Her family.

Her "true" biological family had cast her aside, and she knew they would hardly grieve for her if she passed away. However, her chosen family, her teammates and friends who spent every day with her and constantly watched each other's backs to ensure survival, would miss her. Constantly she worried about losing them, and she knew that they must feel the same way.

The vampire had struck her with tremendous force; the blow from his sword was enough to fling her tiny frame backwards until she slammed into a wall. The hit itself sent pain shooting through her body, and when she hit the wall, her ribs screeched in agony. The impact took the wind out of her, but when her head hit the wall a moment afterward, she still managed to breathe in deeply. She had yet to let that breath go, partially because she feared that it could be her last. Her head was spiraling and she closed her eyes to soothe the pounding sensation rattling her brain and preventing her from thinking clearly. Blood began to trickle down the side of her head, staining her soft lavender locks.

She had never loved anyone enough before now to worry about losing them. Her new family taught her about that feeling. Particularly, Yuu was a powerful catalyst in helping her to understand love, family, and sorrow. The way he mourned for those he had left behind but persevered with the strength to protect his new loved ones was inspirational. His passion had lit a flame in her frozen, malnourished, inexperienced heart.

"Shinoa!"

Somehow, through the shocks of agony that coursed through her body and made her ears ring, she could distinguish a voice. Somebody lifted her from her crumpled position on the wall, where she must have looked rather pitiful. Gentle hands cradled her aching head and her bruised, battered ribcage.

"Shinoa?" The voice cracked.

Now she recognized that Yuu's familiar voice, his warmth, and his reassuring presence. If he was this worried about her and wanted to support her, perhaps she could give life another chance. He had given her a reason to fight, after all: to protect the ones she loved. This wasn't the time to succumb to darkness. One bad injury wouldn't stop her quite yet.

Shinoa slowly opened her eyes and exhaled that old, stale gasp of air. "Yuu-san?"

She allowed herself to breathe again.


	9. Day 12: Insanity

The sharp clang of metal hitting metal vibrated inside her ears. Immediately the girl shifted her hands to thrust her scythe further, and a triumphant sneer crept onto her lips. "Victory," Shinoa declared in a sing-song voice as she smirked at her victim. Her blade was now positioned so that it was curved perfectly around his neck. If he made one wrong move, she could easily slit his throat.

Realizing that he had been defeated, her training partner dropped his sword onto the ground. He waited a moment for her to retract her weapon; once he was safe, he threw his hands into the air in exasperation. "Again?" Yuichiro cried in disbelief. He looked down at his discarded weapon with a frown. "I thought I was faster that time."

Shinoa shook her head and wagged her finger disapprovingly. "You can't just try the same technique over and over again and expect a different result, Yuu-san," she advised. "That's the definition of insanity. Why not change your attack?"

Yuichiro huffed and bent down to pick up his Cursed Gear off of the ground. "I'm going to keep trying this until I get it right," he declared as he began to experimentally swing his sword. "I'm going to get you this time, Shinoa! Get ready!"

Deciding that it was pointless to argue with him, the petite girl merely shrugged and called upon her demon once more. "Sorry to keep bothering you, Shi-chan," she murmured as she released her scythe from its small, key-shaped form. "Here we go~"

Yuu dove in first, but she easily deflected his attack. Their battle was rather dull, consisting of many of the same moves from earlier. He would step and she would dodge, she would spin and he would duck, and so forth. Spying an opening, Shinoa prepared to launch her final blow. She could knock Yuu's sword out of his hands and bring the tip of her weapon to his throat. _'A simple side-step and lunge should suffice,'_ she thought, ready to claim victory once again.

However, Yuu suddenly pulled a trick that she did not expect. The movement was simple, but she admittedly had never considered the possibility that he would attempt it. He had tossed his blade from his right hand to his left, and now Shinoa was completely unprepared to face him. She was turned with the expectation of parrying the blade on his right side, not his left. Various profanities raced through her mind as she spun around, hoping to catch his blade in time.

Too slow.

"I win," Yuu announced with a grin as he pointed the tip of his blade at her thin, pale throat. "I finally felt comfortable enough with my left hand to try that trick, and it worked," he explained matter-of-factly. His green eyes glimmering mischievously, he added, "Maybe you're the one who needs to change her routine."

Shinoa swallowed the lump in her throat. Unfortunately, he had bested her this time. Could she still get out of this situation with her dignity intact? As she gazed up at him, she couldn't help but notice his determination, pride, and power. An idea trickled into her mind. "Wow," she breathed. "Yuu-san almost looks handsome with such a serious look on his face."

The boy's face turned bright red and he began to protest. "W-what the hell, Shinoa? That's not something you talk about on the battlefield!" he sputtered, flustered. Before he had any awareness of what was happening, Shinoa suddenly slid her hand and tipped her scythe so that the staff end slammed into his hand. His sword hit the ground with a sharp, harsh clatter.

She clucked softly as she withdrew her weapon. "Yuu-san, you mustn't get distracted," she chided. "Your grip slackened."

Her devious smile made the poor boy even more embarrassed than before. "I'm starting to think _you_ are the one who's insane."


	10. Day 14: Smile

Stealth missions were surprisingly difficult in the snow.

The Japanese Imperial Demon Army issued black uniforms to its soldiers, so Yuichiro and his teammates clearly stood out in the midst of their snowy surroundings. The sky was a pale gray, the ground was a soft white, and the falling snowflakes caused the air itself to appear milky.

"Shinoa!"

The small squad leader continued walking without responding.

"Shinoa!" Yuu called again. Not only did she remain silent, but she didn't slow her strides, turn around, or give any other indication that she had heard him.

"Can't we rest for a minute?" the impatient boy asked, raising his voice. "We're ahead of schedule anyway!" Yoichi flinched at his sudden exclamation, and Mitsuba tossed her head over her shoulder to glare at him. Their reactions confirmed his suspicions: Shinoa could hear him and was deliberately ignoring him.

They were en route to meet up with Guren for their mission briefing. Not wanting to relive the experience of being scolded and shamed for their tardiness, the group collectively decided to arrive early. Although the unexpected snow had slowed their steps, they still had time to spare. His thick boots kept out most of the snow, but they didn't prevent his legs from growing exhausted as he trudged across the ground.

"Be quiet!" Mitsuba snapped suddenly. "We're wearing black and you're shouting! Are you trying to draw attention to us?"

Yuu didn't want to openly admit it, but she did have a point. "Well, you're yelling too!" he retorted. The blonde blushed and whirled around, muttering angrily under her breath.

"Yuu-san. Micchan." Shinoa slowed down just enough to turn and look at her teammates. She flashed a cheeky grin at them as she said, "Bickering isn't cute. Try smiling instead~"

Embarrassment replaced anger on Mitsuba's blushing red face. However, Yuu was too distracted by her words to be annoyed or upset. Had he ever seen _Shinoa_ smile? She smirked when teasing him or smiled wistfully when someone mentioned her family, but had he ever seen pure, genuine joy on her face?

' _Hypocrite,'_ he thought. However, he couldn't entirely blame her. _'Chances for fun are rare now,'_ he noted regrettably. Death lingered around every corner, and tomorrow was not guaranteed. _'We just have to take advantage of every day.'_

He decided to do just that.

Barely stifling a chuckle, Yuichiro ducked down to scoop up a handful of snow. He worked quickly to pack it into a ball before his hand grew numb. Luckily, this snow was soft, powdery, and pristine; it was perfect snowball material. Counting to three in his head, he drew his shoulder back and prepared to launch.

As soon as he completed his countdown, he chucked the snowball with as much strength as he could muster. His aim was absolutely perfect; the ball struck Shinoa right in the center of her big magenta bow, and he murmured a triumphant, "Yes!" The lavender-haired girl stopped dead in her tracks, and everyone else whirled around to cast him horrified glances.

"Aha. Ahaha." Her giggle was fake. Forced. Frightening.

"W-we should be there in a couple of blocks!" Yoichi stammered before Shinoa could have the opportunity to retaliate. "I can see the blue roof to our right! L-let's hurry!"

Somewhat disappointed about receiving no response, Yuu picked up his pace as they neared the rendezvous point. Normally, he wouldn't be so determined to be punctual, but Guren's punishments were intimidating, to say the least. As unpleasant memories began to surface, he felt a chill run along his spine.

A second later, another chill ran down his spine. This one, however, was caused by something cold and wet trickling down the back of his neck.

"Shi-Shi-Shinoa!" She was no longer in front of him. The startled boy whirled around wildly, trying to locate her. Humming softly, she came up beside him and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

"You were right, Yuu-san. Occasional breaks are nice." The petite girl smiled widely up at him. "I would've loved a snowball fight. Look at you—you're soaked." As she glanced over his bewildered expression and the dripping snow, her grin grew and grew until finally laughter began to pour out. Yuu stood there dumbfounded, unsure of how to respond. She had caught him completely unaware while he was lost in his thoughts. Now he had no train of thought as he gaped at her, sincerely smiling and laughing to her heart's content. Shinoa was truly enjoying herself with some innocent fun. Somehow, he couldn't help but smile, too. Now, this bleak white wasteland seemed to more closely resemble a bright winter wonderland.

"Is that so? You want to start right now?" he challenged with a chuckle. He bent down to prepare ammunition, but before he could stand up again a snowball smacked into his face.

"Too slow," she announced before skipping away, hoping to stay out of his range. "Try again~"

"Ahem."

Both teenagers froze as a sharp cough interrupted their game. Tapping his foot in annoyance, Guren Ichinose glared down at them from atop a stone staircase. He didn't seem too amused by the impromptu snowball fight. With a sigh, he grumbled, "Could you two stop flirting long enough for me to give you your orders?"


	11. Day 16: Questioning

As the final traces of black smoke trickled into the air, and the last embers sizzled away, Yuichiro allowed himself to take a deep breath. The vampire's dying screeches were swept away by the wind. Yuu smirked and sheathed his sword, satisfied now that the fighting had concluded.

"We won," someone murmured a few feet away. "We beat them." The voice belonged to a girl from one of the other squads that had joined Yuu and his friends for the assault on the vampire nobles. He wasn't surprised to see that she was shaking with shock and gratitude, because he felt relief washing over him too. However, when she ran into a young man's arms to embrace him and kiss him passionately, the naïve teenager was absolutely dumbfounded.

This girl just survived an intense, gruesome battle, and the first thing she decided to do was run and kiss somebody?

"Adults are weird," Yuu muttered under his breath. He assumed that he was too quiet for anyone to hear him, but a soft chuckle to his left told him otherwise.

"Haven't you ever seen two people in love?" Shinoa teased, casting him a cheeky grin. "I don't expect a cherry boy like you to have ever kissed someone before, but surely you've _seen_ it."

Yuu felt blood rush to his cheeks, and he folded his arms over his chest. "Of course I know what kissing looks like!" he exclaimed. "I just… I don't get why people are kissing in the middle of a battlefield! It's gross." Still flustered, he was unable to meet her gaze. "Why do you only poke fun at me? I bet nobody else on our team has ever dated anyone!"

Shinoa raised an eyebrow at him. "That's so harsh, Yuu-san. You can't just assume—"

"I'm not assuming anything!" Yuu insisted. "I can just tell! Hey, Mitsuba!" he called, spotting the blonde only a few feet away. "Have you ever been in love?" He would ask all of his teammates the same question, and he expected them to give the same answer. Maybe Shinoa would leave him alone if he could prove his point.

"W-what kind of question is that?" Mitsuba sputtered, blushing fiercely. Her pigtails fluttered behind her as she rushed over. "Shinoa, what kind of prank are you trying to pull?" she demanded.

Shinoa raised her hands defensively. "This was not my idea," she stated. Glancing over at Yuu, she clucked softly and said, "Yuu-san, you can't ask a girl that question. That's very rude."

The fiery young man looked even more irritated than earlier. "Yoichi! Kimizuki! Help me out!" he shouted, beckoning towards his other friends. Yoichi hustled over promptly, while Kimizuki raised a hand to his head and hesitated before finally joining the group. Why did he seem so annoyed already? "Have you guys ever been in love? Have you ever kissed anyone?"

Yoichi's eyes grew wide and his face flushed a deep shade of crimson. He began to stammer incoherently and looked up at Kimizuki for support. The pink-haired boy, however, was in no position to speak. He had started coughing and was now doubled over, trying to stifle his coughs as well as hide his blushing face. When he finally regained his breath, he straightened up and glared daggers at Yuichiro. "You truly are a moron," he sighed, shaking his head softly.

Bewildered, exasperated, and a little hurt, Yuu threw his hands up in the air before shifting his attention back to Shinoa. "Well, none of them said yes," he pointed out, trying to maintain his argument. "So you have to tease all of us equally!"

The small, sassy girl tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I _could_ do that," she mused, "but you're so easy to tease. Besides, it's not my fault that we're a team of innocent, pure virgins." She giggled as she looked over each of her flustered friends. "You're all so cute~"

Not willing to tolerate her condescending attitude, Yuu suddenly blurted out, "What about you? Have you ever been in love?" She didn't have the right to mock them if she didn't have any experience herself.

Much to Yuu's surprise, the mischievous glow faded from her eyes, and she suddenly looked rather embarrassed. "Ahaha. Aha." She brushed a lock of lavender hair behind her ear, trying to hide the pink glow on her cheeks. "Didn't I tell you not to ask a lady that question?" she chided. She spun on her heel and watched as the sun began to set in the distance. "I'm not sure," she responded at last. "I said the whole team is inexperienced. I guess that includes me." She cast a quick glance at him over her shoulder. The sunset highlighted the sorrowful smile on her lips. "Let's enjoy our victory. Tomorrow, it's back to training and teasing Yuu."

Slightly dazed, Yuu nodded slowly in agreement. They should rest now after such an intense fight, so that tomorrow they could return to… more jokes? "Wait! I didn't agree to that!"


	12. Day 17: Blood

Blood splattered as the small girl's body crashed into the ground with a sickening thud. Moving at a remarkable speed, the vampire lunged after his prey. Neither she, nor any of her comrades, had the opportunity to react before the creature landed on top of her. His claws fumbled around at her collar before he finally tore it away in frustration. Her bare, soft, snow white skin practically shone against the dark pavement. It beckoned him forward, taunting him as he took a deep whiff of the aroma surrounding them.

Blood motivated the vampire to sink his teeth into her thin, pallid neck. Every human's blood tasted different, but something about hers was truly… unique. He wouldn't get a large meal from her because of her tiny stature, but the quality of her blood more than compensated for the lack of quantity.

Blood rushed from Yuichiro's face as he spotted Shinoa pinned against the ground by a greedy, thirsty beast. Unfortunately, the Japanese Imperial Demon Army did not accurately predict the number of vampires that were supposed to appear, and their forces had been outnumbered. By this point, many of the units had retreated, but Shinoa didn't have the chance to escape with the rest of them. _'She's normally much more vigilant,'_ Yuu thought. _'He must have snuck up on her.'_

Blood boiled beneath his skin, and Yuichiro forced himself to take a deep breath. With shaking hands, he reached into his pocket to extract his watch. In less than two minutes, the effects of the pills would wear off. Everyone else was fleeing, hoping to escape with their lives before they became completely vulnerable. However, even if he was running out of time, Yuu couldn't just abandon his friend. Even if nobody else was around to help him, he would rescue her.

Blood tainted the air with its putrid odor. Every second he wasted meant that another precious drop was being sucked from Shinoa's little body. He caught her eye for a moment, and she feebly mouthed one word to him: _Run._

Blood pounded in his ears as rage and distress swirled in his mind. Did she honestly expect him to abandon her like a coward? Desperately, the young soldier tucked the watch back into his pocket and firmly grasped the hilt of his Cursed Gear. Ninety seconds was more than enough time for him to act. "Asuramaru," he whispered. "I need power." Soft laughter emanated from the demon, which only exacerbated the boy's headache. Asuramaru would definitely ask why Yuu was asking for his assistance: did he want this power for revenge, or for something else? Revenge was undoubtedly the most powerful emotion that could motivate Yuu, and the darkness of that feeling would fuel his demon immensely. He could not afford to succumb to that negativity, though, especially not when he had a better reason to fight. "I need this power to protect the ones I love." Images flashed through his mind of Shinoa's pained expression, her pitiful position, and her desperation to save him by urging him to run. He never wanted to see her suffer like that again.

"Drink my blood, Asuramaru." No matter what the risks were, he was going to protect the ones most important to him.


	13. Day 18: Rainbow

_Click!_

Yuichiro snickered after he managed to sneak a snapshot of Shinoa while she wasn't paying attention. Dazed, the ashen-haired girl blinked a few times as she recovered from the sudden, bright flash. Once she could see properly, she looked over at Yuu and raised her eyebrow at him. "Where did you find that?" she asked.

"I found it," Yuu explained. "While you were in the middle of your super important discussion with Guren, I got bored and wandered around." He wasn't patient enough to stand and wait for those two to finish speaking. "The other soldiers said I could keep it."

Shinoa tilted her head to the side. "What do you plan to do with it?"

Yuichiro rolled his eyes. "I'm going to take it with us! Duhhh." If he had a new, free camera, he might as well take it along with them and take pictures every now and then.

Shinoa laughed solemnly and spun on her heel. "Do as you please," she murmured, "but our world is dreary, dark, and depressing. I doubt there's anything left that you would want to photograph." She paused and glanced back at him. "It's time to go."

Her dismissive attitude infuriated him, but for once Yuichiro decided to hold his tongue. He knew that their world was tattered and torn, but he was so excited about this silly little camera. Why was she being so negative? Instead of arguing, Yuu developed a better idea. He was going to prove her wrong.

The setting sun had nearly reached the horizon by the time Yuichiro and his friends reached the next army base. They all fell into the nearest chairs they could find, absolutely exhausted. Even though his muscles screeched with fatigue and his feet dragged as he walked, an inner fire kept Yuu moving with some pep in his step. "Shinoa!" he called enthusiastically.

After hearing her name, the petite teenager looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. With a resigned sigh, she straightened up in her seat. "Yes, Yuu-san?" she asked politely.

Barely able to contain his excitement, the dark-haired boy slid into the seat next to hers. "I want to show you something." Immediately he pulled the camera out of his pocket and turned it on. "I thought about what you said earlier," he began as the device powered up. "About this world being dull and lifeless. Well, what if I told you that you were wrong?" He could no longer hold back the cheeky grin that began to creep onto his lips. "On patrol today, I found plenty of vibrant, colorful things, so I took some pictures."

Seeming skeptical but truly curious, Shinoa leaned in to get a closer look at the camera. Triumph swelled in Yuu's chest when he saw that he had her undivided attention.

"This is a good place to start!" he declared as the first image began to load. "Right before we left, Kimizuki decided to grab some fruit!" The picture on the screen showed an unflattering image of the pink-haired boy sinking his teeth into a juicy, ruby red apple. The fruit shone as it reflected the sunlight. "Next is the sunset." Multiple shades of orange intermingled and danced across the sky in the next photo. "I only took this one a few minutes ago. Were you paying attention to the sky, or were you too tired?" He smirked at her before continuing. "Oh! I like this one! It's a tulip." A bright yellow blossom stood out vividly on the screen. "Not everything in this world is dead. There are flowers like this one, and there will be many more if the grass stays healthy." He hit a button on his camera, and the screen flashed to the next image. Glorious green grass practically glowed in the midst of its grey surroundings. He paused for a moment to ensure that she was still following along. Her eyes were wide and she was leaning a little closer than earlier. Shinoa was truly entranced by his presentation, and his pride made him feel so warm inside that he could burst. "For blue," he continued, "I used this little pond that we passed earlier. Do you think any fish are swimming in there?" The smooth, undisturbed surface of the water reflected the sky above, and the pond shone with a beautiful baby blue. Yuu was so caught up in his presentation that he had almost forgotten about the next picture in his lineup. "Purple is—"

"Is that… me?" Shinoa pointed to the lavender-haired girl in the photo. She didn't sound irritated, irate, or even flustered; she sincerely seemed surprised.

Yuichiro chuckled a bit sheepishly and scratched his head. "I guess that's cheating, huh? I couldn't find anything else purple that would've looked as good. Your hair is a really unique color, you know." He hurriedly pressed the button on his camera that led him to the final picture. "Have you seen how pink Mitsuba's face gets when she's embarrassed? Her cheeks flush this deep magenta color. It's a way better pink than stupid Kimizuki's hair color." He grinned mischievously. Having concluded his presentation, he cleared his throat and faced Shinoa smugly. "Ta-dah! I found a whole rainbow of beautiful things while we were on patrol, so I guess you were wrong."

Shinoa giggled softly and bowed to him. "I admit defeat," she announced. "I've never been so happy to be incorrect. Thank you, Yuu."

Her radiant smile was worthy of another photograph.


	14. Day 20: Cookies

_A/N: This is my last day for Yuunoa! Additionally, I'll be taking an overall break from the 100 Days Challenge because classes start on Monday. Thanks for sticking around for so long! ❤_

* * *

"Valentine's Day, huh?"

Shinoa entered the room to find Mitsuba staring pensively at a calendar. Stepping lightly so as not to be heard, she came up behind the blonde and whispered into her ear, "Thinking about someone special?"

With a screech, Mitsuba jumped to the side. The startled girl's twintails nearly whacked Shinoa in the face as she spun around wildly, trying to find whomever had snuck up on her. When she spotted Shinoa with a hand raised over her mouth to suppress a snicker, Mitsuba's hands clenched into fists and she bit her lip to prevent herself from shouting. "N-none of your business!" she finally stammered once she had calmed down. "I was just wondering if I could ever get the chance to make Valentine's chocolates for somebody." Her voice carried a subtle sadness. Shinoa understood the other girl's feelings; she wasn't worried about finding her soulmate as much as she was worried about being able to live happily with someone without the constant threat of vampires popping up.

"I doubt it," Shinoa replied coolly. Her matter-of-fact tone seemed to further upset her teammate, but instead of snapping at her with a harsh retort, she just let out a sigh. "You could never cook well enough to make chocolates for anyone."

 _That_ snarky statement got a rise out of Mitsuba, who blurted out, "N-neither could you!"

Shinoa merely nodded in agreement. "Oh, I know that," she assured her. "It's a nice thought, though." As her gaze drifted over to the calendar, a sudden image flashed in her mind of a fiery, stubborn, reckless, and compassionate fool. Blushing slightly, she shook her head to try to clear it of any whimsical, unnecessary thoughts.

"What about cookies?"

The question caught the smaller girl off-guard. "Valentine's Day cookies?" she guessed. Mitsuba nodded in confirmation. "That's rather nontraditional," Shinoa mused, toying with the idea in her head. "Cookies would be easier to make than chocolate, though." The more she thought about the proposal, the more she liked it. "Why are you so determined to cook, Micchan?" she asked, grinning smugly. "You really do have someone special, don't you?"

The feisty blonde turned a deep shade of red and she threw the calendar at Shinoa. "No! Ugh, you're so annoying!"

Shinoa ducked and the flying calendar harmlessly landed behind her on the floor in a scattered heap. "Let's go find Mikaela-san," she suggested. Today was Valentine's Day, after all, and making cookies sounded fun.

Her flustered friend looked rather perplexed as she asked, "Why?" She probably hadn't expected Shinoa to actually go along with her plan.

The truth was that Shinoa wanted to ask Mikaela about Yuu's favorite flavors, but she couldn't exactly admit that to Mitsuba. Thinking quickly of another viable explanation, she said simply, "He can't eat the cookies with the other boys, so maybe he would enjoy helping us make them." She knew they would have to work hard to convince him, though. He hadn't warmed up to the team yet, and Shinoa was probably his least favorite of the bunch. "Plus, team bonding on Valentine's Day sounds lovely to me~"

* * *

Later that evening, after they had finished dinner, the pair thrust a large basket of cookies at the male members of the squad. "Platonic Valentine's cookies," Mitsuba assured them, eager to clear up any misconceptions from the start.

"Maybe not all of them are platonic," Shinoa teased, earning herself an elbow to her ribcage.

Makoto, Yoichi, and Kimizuki were too stunned to act right away. They probably hadn't expected something so frivolous, and they may not have even realized that today was Valentine's Day. Yuichiro didn't waste time to think about the gift or the oddity of the situation, though. His mouth watering, he dove into the snacks immediately. "Are these triple chocolate chip?" he asked in disbelief. "These are my favorite! How did you know?"

"Well, Mikaela-san lent us some help," Shinoa admitted, glancing over at the blonde vampire who was sitting off to the side. He pulled his knees to his chest and buried his nose into his knees, trying to hide the blush that illuminated his pallid face.

"I was worried you'd burn the whole place down if I left you alone," he muttered without looking up. He was clearly embarrassed about receiving so much of the credit.

"Oh, Mika-kun baked these?" Yoichi's eyes lit up and he finally reached for a cookie. Kimizuki and Makoto followed suit, relief pouring off of them. Did they hesitate because they were worried about the quality of the girls' baking skills? In all honesty, Shinoa didn't blame them, but she did cough slightly to let them know that she had noticed their sudden change in behavior.

"All thwee of you baked dese cookies?" Yuu mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate and crumbs. He swallowed and then grinned widely at them. "You're the best! I love you guys!"

Now all three bakers had bright red faces and they turned away, trying to casually shrug off Yuu's praise. "It was no big deal," Mitsuba asserted before walking away to sit between Makoto and Kimizuki.

"It's a big deal to me!" the raven-haired boy insisted, pouting at their dismissive behavior. "Nobody has ever made me Valentine's Day cookies before." He plucked an oatmeal raisin cookie from the basket and waltzed up to Shinoa. "Have you tasted any of these yet? They're really good." When she shook her head and tried to deny his offer, he thrust it in her face. "Come oooooon. They're good! Mika's a great baker," he added with a smirk. "I mean, I'm sure you helped a little. You deserve one bite." He snapped the cookie in half so that they could share it.

The lavender-haired girl accepted the cookie from his outstretched hand. How could she say no to that puppy-dog face? Tentatively she bit into her half, and her eyes grew wide as the flavor swept over her tongue. She had eaten some of the batter earlier, but the final product tasted even better. Oatmeal raisin suited her: it was a little sweet, a little sour, and most people only enjoy it in small doses. As she nibbled on the cookie, she glanced up at Yuichiro's smiling face while he finished his half in two bites. Triple chocolate chip fit him well, too. The white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate chips represented his seraph, human, and demonic sides, which could be frightening individually, but put together they were complete and very sweet.

"This is the best gift ever," Yuu murmured after a moment. "My family is getting along, working together, eating cookies…" A gentle smile settled onto his chocolate-covered lips. He turned to look at her, and without warning he began to reach for her face.

Every muscle in Shinoa's body froze. Panic set off alarms throughout her mind, but she still couldn't bring herself to move. Why was he leaning towards her? Why was he coming so close? She closed her eyes tightly shut as his fingers brushed against her chin.

"You have oats on your chin! You're so messy!" he laughed, pulling away after he brushed the stray crumbs from her face.

"Y-your entire face is covered in chocolate," Shinoa stammered once her heart settled down. She hadn't really expected anything romantic from Yuu, but today _was_ Valentine's Day. "If you can't keep yourself clean like a big boy, I won't make these for you again."

"Fine. I'll ask Mika to do it."

"Then I'll ensure Mikaela-san doesn't make them for you, either."

Yuu gasped dramatically, and Shinoa tried to maintain a serious glare, but before long the two of them burst out laughing.

Maybe she should try asking Mikaela for his cookie recipes.


End file.
